How it started...

This week is a down week, more like the calm before the storm.

I thought I would start from the beginning, as most of you won't know, how this panda came to be. Given the anatomy, I will be careful with my words and not be to TMI for the men who are reading this.‎ Guys, stay with me, it's important for you to know some of this too.

I'm no stranger to the medical system. For the last three to four years I've been battling Rheumatoid Arthritis, Fibromyalgia and along with those two biggies, they usually cause smaller problems.‎ Having RA means that my immune system is compromised, it means I, or, well, my body is susceptible to minor infections to major internal infections. For the most part, it's highly unlikely, but every month I have to get get blood work done to check all my levels to make sure nothing is out of whack.

It's not just the disease itself that could cause the problem, it could be one of the 16 meds that I am on that could be the problem. For example, I had a routine blood test and went on about my day, later that afternoon my Dr. called and told me my potassium level was dangerously low. I kind of laughed and said I would go and eat a banana. She got serious and told me to go straight to the ER. Having levels that low, I was at a serious risk for a cardiac arrest. A night in the hospital, pumped full of potassium and drinking it straight (gross, gross, gross), and I was out of there!. The culprit? A blood pressure pill that I had been on for well over a year. It had been slowly chipping away at my potassium, and just by chance they were checking for it that day. 

I guess I wanted to give you some of that background because I don't want what I did happen to you. Let me explain....

I visited my Dr. in May, our visits are always about the meds I am on, do I need more? How is my blood pressure? How is my pain level? And by the time we are done that, our time is usually up. That day, I had to squeeze in another question.

Sarah: I've pretty much had my period since April and it hasn't stopped yet.

Dr. Oh, ok, well that's not good. Let's see how you are in two weeks, and if you are still bleeding we can put you on birth control pills to stop the bleeding.

Appointment Over.

‎Two Weeks Later....

Repeat above about meds, blood pressure‎ and pain level.

Sarah: I'm still umm bleeding, it hasn't stopped. Is there something we can do?

Dr. Oh right! Ok, here is a pack of Birth Control pills, only take the last 7 days of the pills and then the bleeding should stop.

Appointment over.

By this time, it was close to the end of June. I was buying pads in bulk at Costco‎, and I had to sleep on towels so I wouldn't ruin any more sheets. I was really losing a lot of blood.

Next appointment:

Repeat above, meds, blood pressure, pain levels

Sarah: I really need to talk about the bleeding, it's not getting any better, in fact some days it's actually worse.

The Dr. questioned me on some family history, and then said she was going to refer me to a gynaecologist. She also wanted to send me for more blood work to check my iron levels.

Let's see...I have been bleeding since the beginning of April, how do you think my iron levels were?? ya...iron supplements and everyone I knew telling me to each spinach, I got it.

I had a gynaecologist appointment scheduled for September 5th. I believe that was made for me sometime at the end of July, so that was frustrating, having to wait so long. I was tired of all the blood. I had zero energy from being anemic and I was starting to get kind of worried. 

My point about my regular appointments is this. My Dr. saw me as a circle of issues, and they were all to do with the RA and meds and blood pressure and pain. I was pretty comfortable in that circle as well, I wasn't getting any worse. I couldn't imagine feeling worse, so I was very comfortable. My Dr and I,  we forgot to look past the circle, to see what else was up. Not to see what else was wrong, but to make sure, nothing else was wrong. We didn't do that. I didn't ask. The Dr. didn't bring it up. We were both comfortable in my sick circle.

Had I asked or had I been told back in April, that a pap test would be a good idea, just to rule anything out. This cancer, would have been caught early.‎ This cancer, would not be as advanced as it is. This cancer....would not be threatening my life